Ask nearly any parent, and they’ll tell you the most important item in their wardrobe is a comfortable pair of shoes. Chasing kids around the house/mall/supermarket/park can put a lot of wear and tear on mom or dad’s feet, so comfy kicks are a must. Unfortunately, fashion often takes a backseat to function… particularly with a lot of dads.

It’s one of my life’s missions to debunk that myth — to show that a dad can be both stylish and sensible, funky and functional, dapper and dependable. Helping me in my debunking endeavors is a new pair of Nisolo sneakers.

I’m wearing the Diego Low Top Sneaker (in Tobacco), and as you can see, am at one with nature. But why all the outdoorsy poses?

In addition to it being a gorgeous Spring day… and the fact that I published this post on Earth Day… Nisolo prides themselves on producing environmentally friendly, socially-conscious shoes.

What does that mean, exactly? For Nisolo, it’s exemplified by two amazing programs the company participates in.

Soles4Souls

First is Soles4Souls, a shoe reclamation program. 85% of our clothing and shoes can be recycled or reused, yet 99% ends up in landfills. Nisolo and Soles4Souls are combatting the massive amounts of landfill waste created by our disposable fashion habits. They’ve committed to a circular system that reuses and recirculates products and materials.

Nisolo’s goal is to collect a minimum of 5,000 pairs of shoes by 2020 to send to Soles4Souls. They are 30% of the way there, having collected 1,490 pairs, diverting them from landfills. Learn how you can help.

Ecosphere+

The second program is Ecosphere+, which works to conserve the Amazon rainforest (while offsetting Nisolo’s carbon emissions) by planting a tree for every pair of shoes they sell. Easiest way to help? Lend a foot, buy some shoes, plant a tree. Easy-peasy.

So not only am I feeling comfortable and fashionable, I’m doing so conscientiously with a small — yet meaningful — assist to Planet Earth.

Epilogue

I took the photos for this post at my parents’ house. The whole family was there for Easter weekend, so I had brought along my Nisolos to take advantage of the nice weather and pastoral setting. Yet as I hurriedly dressed for church Sunday morning, I realized these were the only pair of shoes I’d packed besides my workout sneakers.

In my experience, just-out-of-the-box shoes are never comfortable enough to wear for very long. And while losing a considerable amount of weight has made my feet generally happier, I’ve still got big (size 13), wide, flat feet. I wear insoles for my non-existent arches. And I’m just shy of 50. So foot/leg/knee comfort is paramount.

However, after wearing my spanking new shoes to church — followed by lunch at Grandma’s, egg hunt with cousins, and a trip to the park — I barely noticed I had them on. It was an Easter miracle! 😉

2 responses to “Dad-Friendly, Earth-Friendly Shoes”

I love the look of these diego low tops. I usually just buy a cheap pair of plimsolls and wear them to death, then put them outside to use for gardening and then eventually bin them. Then buy another cheap pair. Probably not the most environmentally friendly way to go as they dont last long. The recycling initiative you mentioned sounds great. Maybe I’ll get myself a pair if they ship to the UK!

These are pretty cool. I have moved totally away from the super cheap shoes, and tend to go for Timberland for my boots/shoes because although they are pricey, they are high quality and comfy. But i’m always looking for that elusive eco-friendly, reasonably-priced and genuinely stylish shoe. You are on to something!